Burn After Writing

Have you ever torched an old diary (or journal) after completing it? Yep; I’m guilty as charged. And no……. It wasn’t some sort of ridiculous, crazy Valentine’s Day love ritual – involving a trash can, sage, alcohol, or anything like that, haha. Nor was it fuel for a dumpster fire (figuratively or literally). I simply had filled up all the pages, and it had served its purpose. I didn’t particularly want to read it again, nor want anyone else to, so I tossed it in a fire. I must say, it was a bit therapeutic to watch my words go up in flames – kinda like a release of my past so that my present could flourish.

This particular journal actually encourages you to burn it after it’s been completed. In fact, according to the intro, them’s the rules! (Though I don’t think anyone will truly care if you decide to chuck into a drawer instead of a bonfire.) I happened upon this journal last time I was in the bookstore and it piqued my interest. After flipping through the pages, I decided to add it to my purchase, though I was undecided if I was buying it for myself or with gift-giving in mind. (Still deciding… haha!)

It’s a fun little book full of questions and prompts to reacquaint yourself with who you really are when you don’t have to worry about being anyone but YOU. (This might seem confusing, but the people-pleasers out there totally get it.) The theme is basically to dig deep and know thyself by being brutally honest. And you can be completely honest, because paper doesn’t gossip and you get to cremate it after you spill all your beans. You can even giggle gleefully while you light it on fire, if the mood strikes, but it’s best not to appear too crazy. If your neighbors catch you burning things in your backyard and laughing like mad, they may call the police (just say’n). Or worse, they may come join you…

Now, I will say that some people might find the journal’s intro a bit off-putting… In the disclaimer section, it mentions that you are being initiated into the “cult of BAW” (Burn After Writing). Usually the words ‘initiated’ and ‘cult’ together aren’t something to take lightly, but in this instance, I think the author was just trying to be humorous. Much like life, I don’t think you should take it too seriously. And if it creeps you out, you can simply skip over that part. Who’s going to tattle on you; the journal? (It’s very doubtful.)

If you think you might like to play truth or dare with yourself (or maybe it’s truth and burn – I’m not sure…), you can pick up one of these sizzling hot, Burn After Writing journals at your local bookstore, or snag one online at Amazon. They also come with a variety of different covers, which is kinda fun because, yes… I sometimes judge my books by their covers.

Happy writing, and please practice fire safety!